You can certainly freeze a bag of closed, pre-cut stir-fried vegetables immediately after purchase and keep it good for 1 year when the freezer is at least -18 degrees. Once the bag is open, these vegetables can be stored in the freezer for 3 months. You have to wash and blanch your own stir-fry vegetables, which you have cut yourself. These can be stored in the freezer for 1 year.
It is true that the longer you freeze stir-fry vegetables, the more the taste deteriorates after the recommended freezing time. Always set the freezer to a temperature of -18 degrees. When it is higher, from -17 to 0 degrees, bacteria can still survive. These bacteria can make you sick after thawing. Read our blog about stir-frying vegetables and you will immediately know how to prepare it.
Freezing Italian Stir-Fry Vegetables
You can also freeze Italian stir-fried vegetables (leek, zucchini, onion, red pepper and carrots in pieces).
Freeze pre-cut vegetables in closed or open packaging
If you buy these pre-sliced and put them in the freezer without opening them, you can store them for 1 year, without losing taste. If the bag is open and you want to freeze a leftover raw vegetables, these Italian stir-fried vegetables can be kept for 3 months, without loss of taste.
Freeze blanched Italian vegetables
You can also blanch the Italian vegetables first and then freeze. The vegetables keep well in the freezer for a year without loss of flavor. Blanching is done by briefly cooking the vegetables, 3 minutes, in a colander in a large pan. After 3 minutes, remove the colander with vegetables from the pan and place the blanched vegetables in a container of ice cold water. This way you quickly cool the vegetables back and they do not cook further. Because the Italian vegetables are well cooled, you can drain them and freeze them in portions or as a whole.
Freeze stir-fried or fried Italian stir-fried vegetables
If you want to freeze the Italian stir-fried vegetables that have been stir-fried or fried, without other ingredients, these can also be frozen for 3 months. Note that the vegetables must be cooled in a short time before they go into the freezer. If they are left outside the refrigerator for too long (longer than 2 hours), unwanted bacteria can grow, which can also be harmful after the vegetables have been thawed.
If the stir-fried or fried stir-fried vegetables have been processed in a sauce, you can defrost them well in the microwave.
Do not let the vegetables thaw on the counter. This takes a long time and bacteria get a chance to grow. It can make you sick. It is better to put the frozen vegetables in the pan right away.
Freezing Dutch Stir-Fry Vegetables
Dutch stir-fried vegetables (carrot, celery, yellow and red peppers, broccoli, green beans and cauliflower, for example) can also be frozen.
Freeze boiled or stir-fried Dutch stir-fried vegetables
Boiled or stir-fried Dutch stir-fried vegetables can be put in the freezer for 3 months. When you keep these vegetables longer in the freezer, the taste diminishes. If you want to use the frozen cooked or stir-fried vegetables, it is best to do them frozen in the wok or in the soup. Vegetables that have been frozen are limp when you thaw them. It looks like a mess of mushy vegetables.
Freeze Dutch stir-fried vegetables in a dish
If you have prepared a dish with Dutch stir-fried vegetables, you can also store it in the freezer for 3 months. Defrosting can then be something else. For example, if you have put these vegetables in a tomato sauce and then frozen them, you can warm them up in the microwave, but certainly also in the wok. Even if it contains pasta, for example.
Freeze blanched Dutch stir-fry vegetables
When you have blanched the Dutch stir-fry vegetables, they can be put in the freezer for 1 year without affecting the taste. Keep in mind that vegetables that you freeze are always a bit limp when you thaw them. The advice is therefore not to thaw the stir-fried vegetables but to put them in the pan frozen and then heat them with the dish. This can be soup, for example, but also just as vegetables in the pan with a sauce. The rice can also be an option. Never thaw the vegetables on the counter all day. There is a high chance of bacterial growth that can make you sick.
Freeze Dutch stir-fry vegetables in closed or open packaging
When you buy sliced Dutch stir-fried vegetables in the store, the unopened packaging can be put in the freezer. These will remain good for a year without losing the taste. Once the package has been opened, they can be kept for another 3 months because they have not been blanched. Cooking vegetables for a short time kills all bacteria and has a longer shelf life, which also applies to freezing vegetables.
Make sure that the freezer is always at a temperature of -18 degrees (or lower). When you freeze vegetables and the temperature is higher -17 to 0 degrees, bacteria can also get a chance to survive, as strange as that sounds.
Frozen Vegetable Mix
There are many types of pre-cut vegetable mix for sale. You can also freeze these. These come in airtight bags that make the vegetables last longer anyway. That is why they are sometimes convex. If you open the bag, the frozen vegetable mix can be kept in the freezer for ‘only’ 3 months. If you leave the bag intact and want to freeze the entire bag for the time being, it can be stored for 1 year.
If you have bought frozen vegetable mix, it is important to get it back in a freezer as soon as possible. It should not thaw again and then put it back in the freezer. There are always bacteria lurking that can grow when the vegetables are thawed and thus become warmer. You don’t want that because it can make you sick. Make sure that the refrigerator is set at -18 degrees and not higher (from -17 to 0 degrees).
